Award-winning Thought Leadership

Award-winning Thought Leadership

“Neil Scotton and Alister Scott provoke us to higher thinking in sharing their thoughts and observations with us. Their commitment to bringing leadership to life and making our world a better place is evident in their writing and in their work.”

So said the judges at Coaching at Work magazine, the world’s foremost independent magazine for the coaching and mentoring profession.

The award is for Best Thought Leadership. It was given for the articles and now regular column we write on how coaching and mentoring can help make a difference addressing the complex economic, social and environmental issues of our times.

The judging panel comprised Coaching at Work’s editor and publisher Liz Hall and Stephen Palmer and members of the 32-strong editorial advisory board, that itself includes Linda Aspey (past chair, British Association of Coaching Psychology Coaching division); Diane Brennan (global president, 2008, International Coach Federation); Alison Carter (principal associate, Institute for Employment Studies), David Clutterbuck (co-founder of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council), and Liz Macann (former head of executive, leadership and management coaching, BBC).

Liz Hall told us “The Coaching at Work team wanted to recognize the best articles from coaching practitioners and academics, which make noteworthy contributions to the emerging coaching profession”.

There’s a strong sense of irony here. We began the series not because we knew the answers, but because we didn’t. And we’ve always felt that the writing is more about allowing the voices of others to be heard, rather than our own. And then we get the award for thought leadership? It’s a funny old world.

Perhaps this is in its way saying something about leadership in these times. It’s less about knowing answers, and more about exploring the right questions. It’s less about telling and more about listening and sharing. It’s less about self and more about serving something bigger.

So it’s big thanks to Liz and Stephen for giving us the opportunity to write in such a great magazine. Thanks to all the people whose thoughts, wisdoms and generosity have allowed us to craft the columns. Thanks to everyone who reads them, and comments upon them. And above all thanks to everyone out there, at the edge, supporting, coaching and mentoring the people who are asking themselves the tricky, complicated questions about their part in addressing the big issues of our times. And courageously doing something. It’s vital, urgent, inspiring work. You provoke, energise and inspire us. We hope our writing helps you.